Aegis
__NOEDITSECTION__ At the center of existence shines the light of creation. If one was capable and had the desire to do so, one could walk into the light, emerging on the other side and find themselves standing in the presence of the entities our sphere has come to call the Universal Pantheon. These divine energies are the essence of all life, from the subatomic to the metaphysical. They are the pulse and the existential life’s blood that flows through the veins of the Lords of Order & Chaos; they are at the heart of the supernatural, the diaphragm that echoes the God Wave and the core of the Pure Magic that our worlds have worshipped since the beginning of time. These deities, for lack of a better word, serve The Presence. His concepts were brought to life by the World Pantheon and through them he would mold our very being. In this matter of creation and individual servitude they have been nothing if not loyal, and in being so His tapestry has been woven to perfection. Each thread that is intertwined with the next binds our reality and furthers his grand design. Each panel represents an Age, a level of development in the sentient life He has created. We in the Multiverse have experienced this latest Age, lasting well beyond the last two millennium. This “Fourth Age of Humanity”, as the purveyors of knowledge have come to call it, is at its end. With the dawning of the Fifth Age the grand design and evolution have harvested a new cradle for the next age to be born. That cradle is known by the sentient life forces as Earth Prime. ---- The deep blue clad figure steps through the mist, his stride indicative of a being with purpose. The wisps tumble off the sharp edges of his hat as he steps in to the center of a golden pavilion seemingly created specifically for the audience he seeks with the Universal Pantheon. He looks up, no matter the light source, with his eyes always cloaked in supernatural shadow. As the fog creeps into the crevices of the shining structure the surrounding entities come into view. Six hundred sixty five forms fill the stadium like seating. One of the forms speaks out; it’s voice both harmonic and piercing, “You come seeking an audience with the Universal Pantheon Stranger?” “I would Yhi, on His behalf as it were…” the mysterious messenger gravely replied. Another of the entities stands defiantly, “It is yet another case of sending a lamb to do the lions work it would seem.” Yhi counters, glancing at the hateful figure “We will not let this gathering be tainted with another of your mindless ramblings Chernobog!” The lithe, bald female’s eyes glow white. “If this messenger is here, then it is as if He is here. You would stand against his chosen? Have you learned nothing from your exile?” “Bah!” slips from the God of Darkness’ lips before he turns his back on the proceeding and walks back into the ether from which they formed. As a few others follow Chernobog’s lead, another female stands and motions to the blue cloaked figure “So Stranger, speak your message so that we may weigh in on the matter…” The Stranger glances the way of the departing gods, pausing for a moment. He understands the dissent that has been growing within the Universal Pantheon’s ranks for the past half century. It runs deep and he fears the day when conflict will arise between these beings yet again. Focusing on the matter at hand the phantom man looks to the second woman “Brigantia, I have been tasked with the responsibility of gathering Aspects…” Lei-Kung’s thunderous voice interrupts the being as his own wings flap and unfurls; his blue skin drawing tight over his brow “So it is another Gathering you seek. There is to be an Avatar chosen?” “Yes” the white haired man states flatly. A low rumble fills the void as the voices of the deities ring through the air in hurried discussion and debate. Often repeated phrases such as “lords of chaos”, “Gibraltar”, “the old wizard”, and “new gods” stick in the ear of the messenger. His expressionless face hides the fact he understands the weight of the task he has been given. He who is above them all would not ask of this if the dawning of a new Age was not upon them, the ripples of which have yet to fade since the last one. This too could announce the awakening of “Them”; a time of such cataclysmic events has never before been experienced across the Multiverse. “He would have us host a champion on the Prime Plane to usher in this… fifth age Stranger? Who are we to give to this cause?” a voice amidst the gathering echoes. The Stranger turns his eyes and looks to the source of the voice, “Not just the Prime Plane Freya. He has asked that you host the avatar across the Multiverse itself. ..” The words barely escape his lips before the message sends a cold silence throughout the arena. Adad finally walks from the others, electricity crackling from his eyes and tongue “This avatar is to exist across the expanse? What manner of ploy is this Stranger, we are to host the avatar yet siphon it’s powers between the fifty two?” The shrouded figure finally lets slip a glimmer of a emotion as the corners of his mouth turn downwards, “No Adad, you are asked to empower them equally…” The man is interrupted as bolts of lightning crackle from every joint, bend and angle of Adad’s tall frame. Fury rages in his eyes. Nekhbet steps from the mass of gods, floating out in front of the angered God of Thunder, “You will not harm the messenger Adad… it is by His grace that we are, in fact, our selves. Is it our place to question a request from him?” “Yes… yes it is protector…” spits Adad, lightning sizzling at the corner of his lip. “If we simply deliver our radiance upon whomever He deems, reality will suffer as it did in the Second Age. It IS our place to align ourselves not with His simple whims but to what is ultimately right for the sake of the worshipers.” “Then let us hear the man out Adad,” Oolar chided “Your anger should be reserved for Chernobog and his ilk, if you remember ‘they’ are the ones responsible for the darkness of the Second Age. The Lightning God glances to the spectral highwayman, “Continue Stranger…” With a quick nod in the deity’s direction he does just that, “Whichever Aspects are chosen or volunteer will act as the Avatar’s council. As is the case with the current Champion of the Pure Magic and as is the case for tainted ones that tread in his shadow, whomever grants their portion of the Source will be tied to this being until the End of the current Age, or till disbursement.” “Atlas is the most current example of this gift we bestow…” Conrad interjects, his green eyes glowing at the beat of his own voice. “Yes” the Stranger acknowledges. “As with what happened with Atlas, if there is a breech in the line of transference another will be tasked with stepping forwards to fill the juncture and complete the Algorithm that is the Word of Power.” Abandinus, having removed herself from the sight of the sentient ones long ago, had become used to observing and being overlooked. This however had finally sparked a notion of involvement from the apathetic being. She speaks and all in attendance turn in shock, “What six shall step forward then Stranger? Are we truly of free will this time or are we being chosen by a Guide or Wizard?” “It is free will Abandinus. As is the choice of Avatar, I am to make the offering on His behalf to someone soon. That is why I am here, now. I need the Aspects to step forth now, and He is breaking the Old Law… there are to be Seven Aspects this time, again bound by the Word of Power.” Expecting what comes next, the Stranger squints under the shadow of his well worn fedora. The remaining pantheon erupts again in chatter between each other; the volume of the remaining 342 entities would be enough to deafen a normal sentient. The messenger simply stands and awaits their verdict. Finally Brigantia’s mighty voice reverberates through the arena, raising above all others. She speaks over them, and continues to do so even as the discussion continues “I will lead the offerings old one. You may count on my pantheon standing by His word. I will guide the Avatar on his course to Victory.” Yhi nods in agreement with this decision, she too floating up above the rest, “And as my worshippers have come to believe, so too shall this vessel. I will grant the Champion the Light of Creation and imbue him with the Spirit of Birth and Renewal.” The thunderous voice that follows surprises all in attendance, “That is three then. The Avatar will house the primal power of the Just.” growls Lei-Kung. The auditorium slowly fell silent, certain deities leaving amidst the turmoil. Now left with 101 gods before him, the messenger looks about the assemblage. A lifetime passes whilst they wait, each god searching for direction. Finally Nekhbet steps from the others. Bowing her head to the cloaked figure she speaks her intentions as resolutely as ever, “As I stated before, no harm shall befall His Messenger and with as much as I able to give, I will do the same for his Champion. The Avatar shall defend the New Age under my protection. “He too will have access to the Wisdom of the Universal Pantheon,” insists Ocasta of the Cherokee as she bows her head to her supporters from The Tribe. “If this is happening then,” crackles Adad “I too shall lend the Champion the unbridled power reserve of the Forces of Nature. If he is to be His Avatar then so be it… but if this brings about the same scale of destruction as the Second Age than it shall cause a revolution…” his voice trails off. Bohica, Goddess of Morals and Laws, worshipped by the Chibchan of Earth looks down from the perch she had taken at the beginning of the Gathering. She smiles and nods her head in agreement. It has happened the way it should, as simple and as direct as things operating on such a scale ultimately should. “In that case Adad, I shall lend my Aspect as well. We need not combine yours and Lei-Kung’s essence in a mortal without a balance to your combined chaos. We have learned that much, have we not?” “Indeed” interjects Yhi and Brigantia in unison. The Goddess of Victory continues, “You have your Seven Aspects messenger. Call forth the Algorithm when you must, we will answer. The equation will be complete. The Fifth Age will have its Paladin.” Without giving the traveler a moment for thanks, the golden pillars and gilded arena begins to dissipate once again into the ether as the Seven Aspects walk together back in to the light. The gray haired figure floats in nothingness for another lifetime before simply nodding his head in understanding and confidence. In His Presence His Will Be Done. ---- “Daniel Marion Rom II.” The Voice fills his lungs with the purest oxygen he has ever tasted. He blinks, and blinks again. He has never experienced anything so black or as empty as where he is now. Where IS he now? That boy… he lived? That he remembers. Now he remembers that the boy DID live, while HE… he DID NOT. “Daniel Marion Rom II.” The Voice breaks the silence again. “Ye…yes. I am Daniel Rom.” The air, it really is spectacular, so pure. “You have unfinished matters. You have a greater purpose.” ---- “Damn it. I told you we needed to wait for the task force!” Daniel Rom shouted over the sounds of destruction caused by the force of the explosion, his partner pulled himself up to his feet as he did. Daniel leaned Marshal Larson Roberts on his shoulder, throwing an arm behind his back for support as they tried to limp to an outcropping of debris for safety. “Larson? LARSON!?”, the deputy smacked the cheek of the superior officer. “Yeah… yeah…Rom, holy hell… you’re bleeding.” Larson’s eyes grew big. Daniel glanced down to his chest, wiping his hand against his shirt and coming up with it soaked in blood. “That’s… that’s you Larson. You got hit right before the one guy exploded.” Rom held his other hand over the gaping wound, trying to stop the flow of the sticky redness. Larson glanced down quickly before rolling his eyes in the back of his head from the shock of it all. “Stay with me man!” Daniel yelled in the man’s face, snapping him back to reality for a second. “I hit the tracer; they should be… hell… ” Daniel didn’t have time to finish as a swarm of heavily armed and armored members of the United States Marshal Service’s Metahuman Interdiction Battalion enveloped them. “Deputy, are you okay?” one of the men asked, looking to Daniel as another of the team quickly began plugging the hole that was in Larson’s stomach. “Ye… yeah, I’m fine actually… I recover… um, I recover quickly.” Rom blinked away the dust that was settling from the explosion as he reached to the small of his back, making sure his pistols were still there. Larson had saved him. “Good. Exit with the medic and the wounded. We’ll take it from here.” The commander barked as he signaled the others to take their positions. He and the larger trooper with the arm cannon jogged away, making a direct line for the center of the destruction. Daniel helped the medic with Larson as he looked back over his shoulder to the reinforcements. It seemed to be about twenty guys in this wave. Wave four wasn’t it? No, wave five. The fourth wave was caught in that last blast. He still couldn’t believe everything that had happened. He and Larson were assigned to meet with a metahuman, someone who had been contacting the government about recent abductions by aliens robots. The man had been diagnosed with paranoid tendencies but had served his time in the rehabilitation facility; he was released as a normal citizen. However, that’s just what they wanted everyone to believe. In reality people such as this were assigned a specialized team to keep tabs on them, check in on them from time to time and make sure they had not become a threat to the national security. Daniel and Larson was one such team. They had 24 cases they handled a month, all potentially dangerous people with extra human abilities. They ranged from simple telekinesis to the more unbelievable matter manipulation. These were the people that we born with the gifts and couldn’t handle the pressure of this sort of responsibility. They weren’t exactly “super heroes”, nor were they “super villains”, no they were just people with amazing talents that made them feel even more alone , disfigured, or abnormal than they would already have felt. This one however proved to have fallen in the villain category after all. Larson insisted on approaching the subject without backup, he assured him that he had been with this case for many years and the kid had always been easy to “bring back from the edge”. He should have followed protocol, but Larson had been on the job for so many years and Daniel had only been “in the field” so to speak for 8 months. Now his partner lay here with half of his stomach missing and the other half still steaming from heat. Another silent moment occurred, same as the other four times… As quickly as he could muster, Daniel grabbed the medic by her arm and threw her in the armored carrier, slamming the door behind them. Larson wouldn’t be so lucky however, as the young deputy only had a second to react. Making a tough call he had saved the woman but left his partner behind. White hot light suddenly shown through the window as the glass melted from its housing. A faint popping noise was followed by ear piercing screams as another blast occurred, hitting the vehicle with a force that tumbled it end over end. The medic started to scream but was quickly knocked unconscious; Daniel hit his head as well and rolled with the impact. The blood gushed from the new wound on the back of his head and he saw double for a few moments. Shaking the cobwebs from his head he instinctively grabbed the handle of the backdoor and gritted his teeth as the flesh on the palm of his hand bubbled and dripped off. Daniel tore off the sleeve of his uniform and wrapped it around his hand as he cried, all the while looking at the skeleton of his pal Larson. He stumbled back towards the epicenter, the smoke from the charred flesh of the other servicemen stinging his eyes. The deputy only had a few minutes before another wave would arrive. The heroes called to for assistance had yet to show and it seemed that at the moment Daniel Marion Rom was alone against this nearly unstoppable thing. As he crested the hill, the cause of the mass of death at his feet came into sight. The naked girl kneeled in a crater nearly 10 meters deep. She looked up to Daniel with death in her eyes. “YOU’RE STILL ALIVE?” she seethed. “I TOLD HIM TO STAY AWAY. I TOLD THEM ALL TO STAY AWAY. NOTHING WILL HURT US AGAIN. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!? NOTHING.” Daniel nodded to her, trying his best once again to control the situation. He dropped to his knees as well, in some part to put himself on her level as much as he could but more importantly he didn’t think he could stand another moment. The back of his head still dripped blood down his back. “I don’t want you to stop for me Elsie, I want you to stop… for him. If you do this, you won’t be here to protect him will you?” Daniel slightly pointed to the boy crumpled on the ground close behind her. “IF… WHEN I DO THIS THERE WILL BE NO ONE LEFT TO HURT US. THERE WILL BE NO MORE EXAMINATIONS. THERE WILL NO MORE MEETINGS, NO MORE TOUCHING. THERE WILL BE… NO… MORE.” Her tears sizzled on her cheek. “That is what we… I… am here to help with Elsie. I only came to check on you. To make sure they ‘have’ stopped hurting you. We’re… the good gu…” Daniel was cut off as Elsie sprung to her feet and stomped in his direction. He cringed a bit, expecting to soon join Larson and the others. Maybe it’s what he deserved, everything he had been doing was already in penance, and nothing seemed to make things better. Maybe this was all for the greater good as she said. That brief moment of doubt and self loathing had allowed the frightened, and hostile girl to close the distance; she now stood in front of Daniel. Fire rippled through her lithe frame as her breathing became more rapid. “THERE are NO GOOD GUYS MARSHAL. YOU WILL DIE NOW. THEN SO WILL THEY.” She motioned behind him, to the oncoming assault force. A few metahumans seemed to be in the mix as well, or so Daniel thought. The deputy looked up to the girl, their eyes meeting for a split second before hers disappeared behind a bright blue spark. A massive amount of air in the area suddenly sucked inside her pores, there was total silence for a brief moment. A slight popping sound broke the silence as a wave of heat hit the man full bore driving him onto his back, he skin began burning. Bits of young Elsie’s brain exploded out the back of her head. She crumpled to the ground, falling on Daniel’s burning legs as fragments of her skull fell to the ground. The heat wave had subsided before reaching full bloom, the others were safe. Dan looked down to his hand, burnt and melting on to the handle of his service pistol. He had saved them. A few of the metahumans flew to the boy, who had just began to revive. The Daniel thought he could hear him burst in to tears when he realized what had happened to his sister. Another Marshal had covered his legs as quickly as they could with a blanket, effectively extinguishing the fire. He tried to breathe a sigh of relief but all he could taste was fried meat, smoke tumbled from his mouth. He took the Marshal’s orders and laid back, as the medics attended to him. The boy was alive… The deputy sighed one last time. Daniel Marion Rom II died. And he cried with a loud voice, as when a Lion roareth, and when he cried, the Seven Thunders uttered their voices. '' '' Because of the divine origin of Sovereign Cross’ powers it is difficult to quantify the upper limits of many of the avatar’s abilities. Described below are the known and observed manifestations of these powers. Flight - The avatar is capable of negating the effects of the gravitational pull exerted by any object able to generate such as a natural phenomenon. With the negation of this force the avatar can then manipulate these forces around him and most objects under the recorded weight of 2 tons. Doing so allows the avatar to levitate other objects and manipulate them in the air. At the same time he can then move the forces in such a way as to propel himself, both at great speed and great distances. The upper limit of the avatar’s speed has been recorded at just over 800 mile per hour. Resilience - Imbued with the divine energies, the avatar has become more resilient to physical ailment, fatigue, and harm. While in the form of the avatar Daniel can maintain an extreme level of exertion roughly 100x longer than a human at peak conditioning. As well, the avatar’s immune system allows him to encounter extreme conditions of weather, and adverse conditions, without suffering the normal side effects. Resistance - The avatar’s body has been gifted with the ability to resist high levels of slicing, blunt, and impaling force. Many would categorize this as “invulnerability”, however it is more the ability to resist these forces at a higher level than a standard human. Given sufficient kinetic energy, the avatar can sustain injury. It has been recorded that Daniel, while in his transformed state, can resist the penetrating force of a large caliber bullet at the minimum distance of 48 inches. The avatar can also resist the effects of a cutting action performed by most terrestrial metals, with a tested force of 60,000psi. His increased resistance also translates into his ability to survive in extreme climates, as well as the depths of the ocean and the upper levels of the atmosphere. Enhanced Senses - The divine energies residing inside the avatar allows Daniel, whether in his transformed state or not, to see with total clarity to the horizon line, as well as to hear at distances roughly 3x greater than a human at peak conditioning. His sense of taste, smell and touch are also increased slightly. Enhanced Reflexes - The avatar has an increased reaction time cued in his muscle response via his visual and auditory perceptions. He does not move faster naturally, and cannot increase his inherent speed. However, when cued, his reaction time is increased and he can respond to stimuli at a superhuman rate. For instance, when confronted with a projectile traveling at a speed of 115 mph, Daniel can intercept this object and halt it’s forward momentum at a speed 3x greater than a human at peak conditioning. Enhanced Physical Strength - Daniel, while transformed, can lift a stationary weight of 142 Tons over his head, and maintain the lifted position for periods exceeding 120 minutes. Outside circumstances may affect his ability to maintain these weights in such a state. The enhanced strength his transformed state affords him translates into the ability to impact objects with increased kinetic force. While in a stationary stance, impacting a piece of 5 inch, compressed reinforced titanium steel with his fist, Daniel was able to break the steel in half. This force is the equivalent of 84,000psi. Arcane Energy Manipulation - The avatar can harness, manipulate, and project the energies that intertwine with the fabric of reality. Most know this energy as “magic” and can manifest itself in a vast variety of ways. Daniel, while in the form of Sovereign Cross, can project bolts of ’force’ made of this energy and use these bolts in an offensive capacity. It has been recorded that he can emit a blast with a concussive impact of 165,000psi. This energy has many qualities inherent in its existence. When in contact with oxygen molecules, the energy interacts with them and causes them to emit an audible popping, and sizzling sound. The temperature around the energy also increases by a minimum of 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. As well, these energies can be formed into protective screens, shields, and shapes. The screens are able to repel kinetic impacts, as well as allowing the shielded to resist extreme temperatures and environments. Another manipulation can be used to constrict or contain an adversary or object. These encasements can withstand an inner exertion of roughly 165,000psi before being dissipated. The avatar can also interact with the energies to produce effects and alter situations; these manipulations would be normally described as ‘casting spells’. Altering probabilities such as decreasing the breaking point of an object to transferring the inertia of an item into another are but two catalogued effects. On one occasion the avatar was witnessed transferring a large vehicle from mid-air into a stationary position on the ground, a quarter of a mile below. This energy manipulation has its limits however; as it has been noted that after continuous use the avatar’s effectiveness with said forces become strained. After prolonged use, and extreme exertion it has been witnessed that Daniel can no longer produce the energies sufficient to manipulate, leaving him with only his physical enhancements to rely on. Using this ability also requires concentration; interruption of the person casting the energy can result in the construct or effect dissipating beyond their control. '' '' - Coming Soon '' '' Desert Eagle Mark XIX Black Oxide handgun, Qty: 2 - The Desert Eagle is a large-framed gas-operated semi-automatic pistol designed by Magnum Research. The advantage of the gas-operation is that it allows the use of far more powerful cartridges than traditional semi-automatic pistol designs. Thus it allows the Desert Eagle to compete in an area that had previously been dominated by magnum revolvers. Daniel generally carries these in an over the shoulder harness (one on each side) that evenly distributes the extra weight these handguns carry. The holsters are fashioned with quick release clips that allow easy access to the firearms. The guns themselves only hold seven (7) rounds in each clip; Daniel generally carries the guns loaded with a full clip, with an additional two clips per gun additional. The ammunition of the handguns has been specifically manufactured for use in extreme situations considering the department in which Daniel operates. The rounds themselves are made of a highly compressed and near frictionless alloy developed by special contract with Cartwright Industries. These rounds have 3x the penetration potential, and 2x the distance potential of standard ammunition. Advanced Restraint Device – The ARD system is a series of interconnected titanium alloy modules reinforced by a magnetically charged tension system in the main housing. They are similar in form and function as the “zip ties” used my standard Law Enforcement personnel. However, the linked modules allow the containment of an individual of at most 8x the size of a normal human. However, using the enhanced magnetic spectrum, the metal alloy becomes 20x stronger than generic compressed titanium. The pulley system also uses resistive tension to increase its natural strength, thereby rendering the containment potential and overall resilience of the devices to near indestructible levels. Reflex Vest – This microfilament woven vest is an advancement in technology over the standard Law Enforcement issued ‘bullet-proof’ clothing. Utilizing reformatted and magnetically charged fibers consisting of titanium and nanomaterials these vests are 60% lighter and 80% smaller than previous vests. The nanoparticles, basically shear thickening fluids compacted within the suit, become rigid enough to protect the wearer as soon as the kinetic energy threshold is surpassed. '' '' - Coming Soon '' '' - Coming Soon '' '' - Coming Soon '' '' - No really... It's Coming Soon!!! '' '' - Coming Soon - ©2011 Creative Roach Studios, All rights reserved. The name "Aegis", as well as the fictional character creations Daniel Rom, The Seven Aspects, The Eternal Pantheon and the inclusive works of fiction are the sole property of Jeff Roach.